Jaime Oliver's Roast Chicken

It had been a while since my baking friends and I had a gathering. I suggested to come to my house this time for our gathering since I had moved to a new place last year. It was a simple gathering with potluck where they cook and bake very delicious food. We had curry devil, scotch eggs, chutney, mango cake and sakura panna cotta. I also made lemongrass drink and a salad. They were all yummy homemade goodies. And of course, we also had some store bought food too! With these group of baking and cooking experts, I decided baking a roast chicken might suit their taste. So I made Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken with roast vegetables. I was glad they like it! The roast chicken was soft and tender and flavourful. The roast vegetables were crisp but soft. This is truly one easy and impressive dish to whip up for a function!

Recipe for Roast Chicken with roast vegetables, adapted from Jamie Oliver.

Ingredients:
1 large fresh Chicken 
2 medium onions 
2 carrots 
1 bulb garlic 
1 lemon 
1 bunch of fresh Rosemary herbs
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Paprika

2 large Sweet Potatoes, cut randomly
3 Potatoes, cut in wedges
2 Zucchini
1 packet Cherry tomatoes 

Method:
1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
3. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables.Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.
4. Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil.

5. Drizzle the chicken with oil and season well with sea salt, black pepper and paprika, then rub all over the bird. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
6. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife. Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs.

7. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C and cook for 45mins.
8. Add in the vegetables after 45mins of cooking. The vegetables would have been mixed with olive oil, black pepper, salt and paprika.
9.  Continue cooking for another 45mins.
10. When the chicken is cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. 
11. To carve your chicken, carefully cut down between the leg and the breast. Cut through the joint and pull the leg off.
12. Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick.
13. Finally, arrange the chicken and the vegetable on a plate and serve.